The Black Dahlia
by Loving Villains
Summary: Dahlia grew up on the outskirts of Amity with her grandfather, away from the rest of society. When she turns sixteen, it's time for her to join the rest of the world and make a life for herself. She joins Dauntless, and during initiation, the quiet girl attracts the attention of an angel faced, cruel worded boy. Peter/OC. Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

Hi, friends! This fic has been in my head, driving me crazy for the past month. I'm excited to see how it's received, seeing how Peter turned out. In this fic, Peter is still kind of terrible, but it's been softened so you don't hate him completely.

Warnings: mentions of death and blood, and slicing of the palm from the choosing ceremony.

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Dahlia woke with the sun. Stretching, she rose from her bed and brushed her teeth before making her way into the kitchen. There, she was met with the sight of her grandfather making a cup of peppermint tea. He turned and handed her the steaming mug and with a small smile of thanks, they headed outside. They climbed the ladder that led to the roof and sat to begin their daily practice of meditation. They watched the sun stretch its rays across the horizon. When the sun stood at the 6 a.m. mark, Dahlia's grandfather, Benjamin, turned to her.

"Today is the day you will leave for the city," he said in a gentle tone.

"I'm going to miss you, friend," she whispered, her eyes silently pleading for him to change his mind, to let her stay.

"You must find your own life, honey. I am an old man, and I am temporary. You will leave the nest, and be surprised with the joy what you find will bring you," he said, his clear blue eyes staring into hers.

"I will always be with you, little bird," he assured.

Dahlia breathed in a shaky breath and blinked away the tears that were building in her eyes.

"I can do this," she said.

"You remind me so much of your mother sometimes that the hair stands up on my arms," he said, grabbing her hand.

Today was the day that Dahlia was going to join the group of sixteen year olds to pick the faction that she would call home for the rest of her life. She had spent her entire life with her grandfather in his little house built in the rolling green hills on the outskirts of Amity. The death of her mother had broken her grandfather. The man remained kind, but his grief had been so heavy, it affected the whole community. Eventually, Johanna had allowed him to settle away from the rest of the faction. The faction did not know about Dahlia, though. After her grandfather had watched his daughter die, he looked at the newborn in his bloody hands and found purpose.

Dahlia had grown up with only her grandfather and nature as a companion. Somehow, the old man had kept her occupied in the time that he had raised her, but he knew that one day she would long for more. He had shown her the ways of socialization, but she needed to be able to apply it to people that weren't just him.

One day, he would pass, and she would need a life after him. She was nervous about heading out on her own, but he knew she wouldn't let nerves get in the way of her life. He saw from as soon as she could walk that she had no fear, especially when she, at two years old, decided to follow him up the ladder to the roof.

Benjamin was an Erudite born, and he had educated Dahlia through her whole life. She had never been to school, but he had raised her to be intelligent and to have a wide variety of knowledge. He was proud of her understanding of people, even though she had only known one person. As she grew older, he became more sure of her Dauntless future, so he taught her how to defend herself. The years of working to harvest her own food had grown her to be strong and agile, and he had no doubt that she would thrive in her new faction.

Dahlia, on the other hand, was panicking.

What if I don't make it?

What if grandfather needs me?

What if no one believes my story?

What if, what if, what if...

The girl took a breath. No matter what, she would be fine. She had a 100 percent survival rate so far, and she would always have her grandfather.

Finishing her tea, she stood and took Benjamin's mug. She washed the dishes in the kitchen before going to the bathroom to bathe. She methodically dressed in a green shirt and tight black pants. After coming downstairs, she braided her long, white blonde hair and put on her shoes as she and her grandfather went over her cover story.

Benjamin had friends in the city who were in charge of identity documents, and he arranged for them to draw up a life for his granddaughter. She had memorized her false life at a young age, and this was the last time he would go over it with her. It didn't stray too far from the truth, but she needed basic paperwork to be accepted into any faction. Once he was done quizzing her, he pulled her into a hug.

"I love you, little bird," he said, using her childhood nickname.

"I love you too, friend," she replied in a choked voice.

"Do not be sad, I will be with you every step of the way," he murmured, holding her tighter.

The hug broke, and they left the house. Dahlia paused to look back at the place she had called home for her entire life.

"Come on, star. We need to get going," Benjamin called, picking two apples from a nearby tree.

With one last glance, Dahlia turned and jogged to meet her grandfather. He handed her an apple that he had plucked from a tree and they ate breakfast while making the journey to the city, holding hands, silently saying their final goodbyes. The two walked through the outskirts of Amity, before joining the crowd of families on their way to the Hub. Soon, Dahlia saw the main city buildings come into view, and she looked on in awe. She had never seen this many people, and seeing them in person, they seemed like far more than they did on paper.

The crowd began to split, teenagers parting from their families as they gathered to check in for the ceremony. There were some heartfelt goodbyes, but Dahlia noticed that some families were cold, and some were dramatic and blubbering. Her grandfather caught her eyes and placed the flower she was named after behind her ear. With a gentle squeeze from her grandfather's hand, and he gave her a smile before they both disappeared into their crowds.

Dahlia made her way to her place based on her last name and waited for the ceremony to begin. Soon, everyone went silent as the faction leaders stood to begin their speeches. She could feel eyes on her, wondering why she was wearing a color that didn't fit any faction, but she didn't mind. It reminded her of home.

After the speeches were over, she retreated into her mind to calm her nerves and prepare to live in a completely unfamiliar world. When she felt the boy sitting by her rise from his seat, she realized she was next. After he chose to stay at his mother faction, she stood on shaky legs. She took a deep breath and cleared out all the worry and self doubt swirling in her mind. Dahlia confidently strode to the table holding her future.

She took the glinting blade and sliced into her hand. The blood pooled in her palm and she caught her grandfather's crystal blue eyes over Marcus Eaton's shoulder. At his small nod, she spilled her blood into the bowl. At the sizzling sound, she gave a small smile.

Dauntless.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi, friends! This chapter is a further introduction. Next chapter is when things start picking up!

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Dahlia joined her new faction where they were sitting, and caught her grandfather's gaze. His clear blue eyes sparkled with love and pride, but also sadness. She was his best friend, after all. He would miss her like crazy, but he enjoyed solitude, and knowing she would be out in the world, living a happy life full of purpose. It was for the best, and they both knew it.

Soon, the ceremony finished and the Dauntless headed for the exit. Before Dahlia left the building, she looked back and got a glimpse of Benjamin's smiling face. He threw his hands up in the shape of a heart and she did the same. Then she left, breaking out in a sprint for the train tracks. She knew what to do from what her grandfather told her, so she ran to the train and launched herself into the car. She was followed by the other Dauntless initiates, and she watched as a few transfers never caught up to the car. They would be factionless. Her heart broke for them.

Dahlia sat in the door of the car with her legs hanging over the edge, looking on as the city rushed past her. It was beautiful and new, and she grew excited. She missed her grandfather, but she understood what he meant when he told her needed a life that wasn't him. She grabbed the dahlia flower Benjamin had placed behind her ear and plucked the petals off, letting them fly away in the wind. Watching the flower float away, she felt the sadness in her heart begin to fade. She would always have him with her.

When the train slowed slightly she looked and saw the Dauntless compound approaching. People in the cars ahead of her started throwing themselves out, over the gap between the train and the roof. Dahlia readied herself to jump. The other initiates caught on and followed her lead. Dahlia jumped first, bending her knees to absorb the shocks and taking a few steps to get rid of her momentum. When she turned back, she saw a Candor born girl throw herself out of the train car. She miscalculated and landed on the edge of the building, flailing her arms to try to regain her balance. Quick to react, Dahlia reached out and grabbed her by the front of her black pants and yanked her forward. The girl stumbled, landing on her hands and knees. She looked up at Dahlia with wide eyes.

"You saved my life, thank you," she said in a hoarse voice.

Dahlia simply nodded and walked away, watching as the girl's friends rushed to check on her. One of the boys stopped to size her up, and she fixed him with her blank stare. He had dark, curly hair and hazel eyes. He had a couple of scars on his angelic face and neck, and a straight nose. When she looked into his eyes, she knew she needed to watch herself around him. He had a way about him that just put her on edge.

Dahlia was the first to reach the large hole in the ground. A man with thick tattoos running up both sides of his neck was waiting in front of it.

"Hey, green, what's your deal?" the man asked.

Dahlia tilted her head in confusion.

"Where are you from?" he simplified in an exasperated tone.

"Amity," she said quietly.

"Never seen one in green," he said. "Huh."

"That was pretty kind of you to save that girl," he said.

Dahlia shrugged. She knew what he was insinuating, but she didn't bother to defend herself. She wasn't interested in making conversation with people. Her grandfather had raised her to believe that words were precious, and people needed to earn them from her.

Soon, the rest of the initiates were gathered in front of the hole. The man, who introduced himself as Eric, cleared his throat and began his speech. Dahlia didn't pay much attention to it. She knew what he would be saying about bravery, faction before blood, and all of the other stuff that factions tell their initiates.

She did perk up, though, when she heard a nervous voice ask "Wait, we're jumping down there?" The voice belonged to an Erudite boy.

"Of course, unless you're scared, then this is the wrong faction for you," Eric said bitingly.

"I'll do it," a small Abnegation girl spoke up.

"Excuse me?" Eric asked, surprise covering his features.

A mousy girl clad in gray pushed her way to the front of the group and Dahlia raised an eyebrow. She did not expect someone like her to be competition. Though Dahlia would be happy to just get into Dauntless, she would like to have a job of her choice instead of the bottom of the barrel. The girl took her gray jacket off, and the boy from before wolf whistled.

"Oh, yeah baby, take it off. Wait, no, put it back on," he laughed.

A few members of the group chuckled, but Dahlia rolled her eyes. What a waste of words, she thought.

The Abnegation girl surprised her when she balled the jacket up and threw it at his chest, before diving off the edge, into the hole. Dahlia stepped forward without a word, and when she received a nod from Eric, she tossed herself backwards, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness that came with falling. When she hit the rough material of a net, she opened her eyes to see a boy falling directly above her at high speed.

She heard Eric shout and it snapped her out of her daze. She scampered up the net, only to slide back down when the net dipped with the person's weight. Dahlia found herself face to chest with a boy, and she was met with the same hazel green eyes that had captivated her on the roof. She lifted herself, climbing over his body and rolling to land on the floor five feet below them.

"Are you okay?" a man with soft brown eyes asked her.

Dahlia nodded.

"Name?" he asked, his eyes hardening after he knew she was okay.

"Dahlia," she whispered.

"Second jumper, Dahlia!" he called.

He stepped to the net and yanked the side of it down, pulling the boy down from where he was still laying where she had left him. He rolled and landed ungracefully, crouched on the ground.

"What the hell were you thinking? You could have crushed her!" The man from before growled, grabbing the boy by the scruff of his neck.

"I-I- I'm sorry," he whimpered looking Dahlia in the face.

She nodded to him and he was released. He brushed himself off and straightened up with a cocky smile on his face.

"I'm Peter, by the way," he said sticking his hand out for Dahlia to shake.

She looked at his hand confusedly. She didn't understand this form of greeting. Hesitantly taking his hand in her smaller one, she just held it, looking at his face. They both were analyzing each other before Dahlia pulled her hand out of his with a curt nod, turning to watch the remaining initiates drop from the sky. She didn't notice, however, the way Peter was staring at her like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time.

Soon enough, the initiates all made it to the ground, Peter's friends, Molly and Drew, coming last. Dahlia walked away from the to be to the side of the group, away from the other initiates, but close enough to hear the instructor introduce himself. He showed them around the Dauntless compound, and Dahlia only paid attention to the Mess Hall, training room, and dormitories. He dropped them off at the dormitories and left them to change into their Dauntless clothes.

Dahlia was not modest in the least, seeing as her grandfather never taught her to be, so she stripped fully before dressing in the provided undergarments, the tight black pants, and a black singlet. She felt eyes on her and caught the Abnegation girl who she knew as Tris. Staring at her with a disgruntled expression as she exchanged one piece of clothing at a time. She also noticed a few other initiates watching her, including Molly and her friends.

Dahlia gathered her clothes, breathing in the scent of trees, mint, and her grandfather for one last time before approaching the fire where her instructors were waiting. She took a deep breath and threw the clothes on the fire, watching the green cotton turn black. Dahlia felt the rest of the weight lift off her chest. The burning of the clothing was the final release she needed for her to feel okay with leaving her old life behind. She was here, now, and she would always have her grandfather with her in mind and spirit.

Dahlia turned her back to the flames and left as the rest of the initiates arrived to the hearth. Navigating her way to the Chasm, she sat with her legs dangling over the edge, retreating into herself as she felt the fine mist of water wash over her skin. She sat there, simply breathing when she heard footsteps approaching her. Her eyes pooped open, and she saw a large darker skinned boy that she recognized from the Candor section during the choosing ceremony.

"I come in peace," he told the skittish girl with his hands raised. "They're serving dinner right now; you should probably head there now if you wanna get any. Dauntless is huge."

Dahlia gave him a small nod before jumping to her feet and heading to the mess hall. She opened the doors and headed to the long line of foods. She saw some sort of meat discs between bread on most people's plates, but she headed to the plant section and grabbed a peach and some celery from a large bowl. She found a seat at a table with no one at it and dug into her food. She ate hurriedly, hungry from not eating since the morning walk over to the city.

When she finished, she threw the pit into the compost bin, washed her hands, and headed to the exit doors. Dahlia was almost taken out by the heavy metal doors to the canteen when a large, muscular, dark skinned man burst through them with a small group of people behind him. It only took her a moment before she recognized him as the leader of Dauntless, Max.

"You're gonna want to stay here for this," he told her, steadying her.

She probably wouldn't, but she did anyway.

The leader of Dauntless gave a speech about the philosophy of the Dauntless, and the expectations of the initiates, and the life they will lead when they make it through initiation. Dahlia tuned them out; she needed to get through initiation before she knew what she could be missing. When the speech finished, the members of Dauntless banged their tin cups on the metal tabletops, cheering on the initiates. Dahlia left soon after.

Dahlia was tired after everything that went on during the day, so she headed to the dorm room, took her jacket and pants off and climbed into her top bunk in the back corner of the dormitory. After a few minutes of nighttime meditation, she was fast asleep. She dreamed of glimpses of her old life. Her grandfather's wrinkled, callused hands. His clear blue eyes that had deep wrinkles around them when he smiled. His joyous laugh that would echo through their small home. Pictures of her mother that she used to stare up at with wonder as a little girl.

She left that behind, but she was looking forward what was ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi, friends! Fun stuff ahead! Real dialogue because I hate writing/reading the same speeches from the book in every fic, sorry if you like to!

Warning: someone tries to grab some booty, sparring

Sitting "tailor style" is criss-cross applesauce. I used that term instead of "Indian style" because that's a lame thing to say, ya know?

* * *

Dahlia woke to darkness. It took her a moment to remember where she was, but when she did, she smiled. She was gradually losing the sadness she felt when she thought of her old home, replacing it with pleasant nostalgia. She could feel the sun rising even though she couldn't see it. The rest of the initiates in the dormitory were still asleep, so she quietly rose and gathered her clothes and towel before heading to the bathroom. She took a shower, humming an old song that her grandfather taught her. When she finished, she dressed, braided her silvery hair, and headed to the Chasm to do her morning meditation. She sat on one of the rock walls that overlooked the rushing water, feeling the cool mist wash over her, rejuvenating her.

After practicing deep breathing and being fully present for some time, Dahlia rose to her feet and headed to the mess hall. She grabbed an orange and a slice of toast from the long table before settling in at a table in the far back corner of the canteen. She finished eating just as the initiates began pouring in.

Today would be the day the first day of training, and Dahlia was ready. She knew she was in better shape than the initiates that were raised in the city. The life of foraging for her food and running through the woods with her grandfather had shaped her to be agile and strong. She headed to the training room and saw her instructors, Four and Eric, setting up the equipment. They both jumped, caught off guard, when they noticed Dahlia watching them.

"You wanna help set up?" Four asked.

Dahlia shrugged and headed over to them. She went to the large bags that they were hanging on hooks and bent down to lift one up.

"Hey-"Eric began. Those bags were around 350 pounds, and she was sure to hurt herself.

Dahlia lifted the bag and placed it on the hook before stopping to look at the man with her head tilted in question.

He waved a hand in dismissal, tightening a bolt on top off one of the bags to secure it.

"Amity, huh," he muttered, shaking his head.

Dahlia hung four more bags with ease. Soon, the equipment was set up, and Dahlia began stretching on the canvas mat in the middle of the room. She sat, reaching down her straightened legs to wrap her hands around her feet, resting her forehead on her knees. She took some deep breaths and looked up to see Peter staring at her once again. She stood and joined him by the blackboard that was set up with the initiate names on it.

"Sleep well?" Peter's voice broke through Dahlia's musings.

She turned to look at him, and his breath caught in his throat as her icy green eyes framed by dark lashed fixed on him. She gave him a simple nod and a small smile. There was a silent question on her face, and you?

"It would have been better if Al wasn't blubbering all night," he chuckled.

Dahlia's face flashed with pity before she turned to the doors. The rest of the initiates came through the entrance and joined them.

Four and Eric stood in front of the blackboard and waited for the group to give them their full attention.

"Alright, listen up," Eric said.

The initiates were silent.

"This board right here," he said, gesturing behind him "is your life. Ten of you will make it through initiation. Your names will be up here. Fall under the red line, and you're cut."

"Cut?" Al, the boy from Candor asked.

"Yes, cut," Eric said.

"W-what does that mean?" a Erudite transfer, Myra, whimpered.

"Well, you can't go home to mommy and daddy, so you will be factionless," Eric said.

"That's not fair!" Molly blurted out.

"Oh?" Eric asked, challenging her.

"If- if we had known-," she stammered.

"Would you have not picked Dauntless? Because that's pretty cowardly of you, and if that's the case, you can leave now," Eric said.

Silence fell over the initiates as they looked at the people surrounding them turn from comrades to adversaries in a matter of seconds. It was survival of the fittest now.

"Training will be divided into three sections. Physical, emotional, and mental. Your rank is based off of how well you do in all three. Physical is pretty self explanatory, you will learn how to fight and defend yourself and your faction. Emotional training will be determining how you react to your fears. Some people have thirty and they handle themselves in a way that they come out high-ranking, while some have 10 and completely lose their minds. On average you will have around 15 fears, but-"

"What's the lowest number of fears that someone has had?" Christina, a Candor transfer, asked.

"Four," he said.

The initiates were silent.

"Next, you will be combining your physical skills with handling your fears to see how you would react on a battle field. The scores you get in that section of training determine your final rankings. Pay attention in every part. Each section of training is important," Four finished.

"Now, let's get warmed up for the physical training. 20 minute jog on the track, move!" Eric shouted.

The initiates began their jog, some of them severely out of shape, wheezing with every breath. Dahlia kept a steady, quick pace, focusing on her breathing and taking some time to daydream, since there wasn't much else to do. Eventually, Four blew the whistle he was wearing around his neck from a few steps in front of her. She slowed to a stop and took a deep breath, dabbing at the sheen of sweat that had built on her forehead. She turned back to see most initiates bent over, panting. Molly and Drew were the last to arrive, limping toward them, panting and red-faced.

"Take a water break. God, you guys better improve. I sure as hell wouldn't trust you to watch my back on the field," Four said, shaking his head.

Dahlia took a moment to stretch out the muscles in her legs before going to sip some water from the fountain. She paused when she felt a hand on her back, sliding down to rest on her butt. She reached behind herself and grabbed the wrist of the person, swinging them around and pressing them against the wall with their arm pinned behind their back. It was Drew, and he was currently squealing like a piglet.

"Sorry, sorry! Please don't break my arm! Pleasepleaseplease! I won't do it again, I swear!" he cried.

Dahlia leaned in close to his ear, "One chance. One."

"O- okay! I promise, never again," he blubbered as she pressed slightly harder.

Dahlia allowed herself to be pulled back. Strong arms wrapped around her midsection and she looked over her shoulder to see Eric behind her, holding back laughter. It was a comical sight, the small, Amity transfer pinning a bulky Candor-born boy twice her size.

"Save the fighting for the ring, Psycho," Eric laughed in her ear.

"Don't touch other initiates unless they ask, Drew," Four laughed.

The boy in question glared at Dahlia before joining his friends.

Eric released Dahlia after Drew was a safe distance away. She returned to the training floor, and looked to Four for instruction.

"Now, we're gonna teach you how to throw some punches. Everyone go to a bag. Now!" he shouted when the initiates stared at him dumbly.

After a short demonstration, the initiates were left to their own devices. Dahlia, though small, figured out the best form to fight with. She stood on the balls of her feet, and turned into her punches. She was making the bag sway with each punch, not a lot, but enough that, if it were a person, they would be hurting. She didn't condone violence, but once it was no longer necessary, she would not use it unless it became necessary again. After almost an hour, Four dismissed them for lunch.

Dahlia headed to the lunch hall, but she was cornered by Molly, the girl she had saved, in the hallway. She stared up at her large face, with her broad, flat nose and small, sunken eyes.

"You should really forgive Drew. He was just messing around," Molly began.

Dahlia raised a brow.

He needed to learn some new jokes.

She gave Molly a blank look and tilted her head at her.

"I mean, he apologized, so it's over right?" she asked, growing uncomfortable being pinned by Dahlia's gaze.

Dahlia gave a slow nod.

Molly walked away, looking over her shoulder at the strange, silent girl before pushing past the doors. Dahlia followed her into the canteen, taking a few seconds to stretch her hands after having them clenched tightly for the past hour. She made her way into the canteen and noticed a lot of eyes falling on her. The initiates stopped speaking almost immediately. It made Dahlia uncomfortable with all the eyes on her but she wasn't concerned with the other initiates' opinions of her.

Grabbing an apple and a bread roll, she settled at the table from earlier that morning, which was still empty. Biting into the apple, she sighed internally. It tasted nowhere near as good as the naturally grown ones from her old home. It was genetically modified by the Erudite to grow faster and bigger and to last longer, but it tasted of chemicals to Dahlia. She finished it nonetheless. She felt a pang of longing for her old home, but she was still happy with her choice.

At least she was, before a handful of initiates came to sit at the table with her.

She recognized them as Tris, Christina, Al, and Will. Al and Christina crowded into her personal space on either side of her, while Tris and Will sat across from her. They looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak. When she showed no indication that she was going to start a conversation with them, Christina cleared her throat and began speaking to her.

"That was so freaking cool! You totally showed Drew!" the Candor transfer exclaimed, raising her hand to Dahlia for some reason.

Once Dahlia was sure that Christina wasn't moving to strike her, she stared at her hand in confusion.

What was with these people and their strange hand gestures? she pondered. Her grandfather hadn't done anything but hold her hand while walking, or clap when she had made him proud.

Christina let her hand drop to her lap and waited for Dahlia to say something in response. When she didn't respond, she became aggravated.

"Seriously, what the hell? I know you can talk. Eric knows your name, and you told Drew off," Christina began before she was cut off.

"Were you trained in self defense before you came here? You certainly didn't look like a rookie back there," Will inquired.

"That was awesome! People have hated those three for the past 16 years," Al said.

Well, that must be a sad life if everyone hates you. No wonder they treat the world that way, Dahlia thought, pitying the trio that had been rejected all of their lives.

She looked at the group with calculating eyes. Two of them grew up in Candor with Drew, Peter, and Molly, and two had probably only seen them in passing while they were in school. Peter had made fun of Tris, so she could understand if she held some animosity toward him, but she remained impassive. The boy had been nothing but friendly Dahlia thought, pitying the trio that had been rejected all of their lives.

She looked at the group with calculating eyes. Two of them grew up in Candor with Drew, Peter, and Molly, and two had probably only seen them in passing while they were in school. Peter had made fun of Tris, so she could understand if she held some animosity toward him, but she remained impassive.

The boy had been nothing but friendly, if a little flirtatious, to Dahlia, and Molly had kept her distance except for when she asked her to forgive Drew. Drew was a pig, and not very intelligent, but despite him groping her, she brushed him off as if he were a pesky mosquito buzzing around her.

These Candor transfers treated these people poorly simply because the common belief was that they were bad people. They probably didn't even know them.

Will and Tris seemed to have a sense of mistrust toward the trio, which Dahlia couldn't disagree with. She didn't trust them either. They also didn't seem to draw conclusions from experiences that weren't theirs.

When she finished her analysis and her bread roll, she gave them a polite nod and left the table. Dahlia dropped her apple core in compost and headed back to the training room, reaching the door at the same time as Four.

"You can go back to the bags for a minute. We're gonna start defensive moves when the rest of the class returns," he told her.

She had been attacking the punching bag for about ten minutes before the door opened and initiates began flooding in. Taking a deep breath, she centered herself before joining the cluster of transfers.

"Alright, now that we have punches down… for the most part," cue the pointed glare at the initiates struggling with landing punches. "We're gonna work on blocking them. You've been paired up by skill; check the board for your sparring partners. We're going for technique, not strength. You can beat each other up tomorrow. If anyone ends up in the infirmary, you can fight me before you pack your bags and join the factionless," Four said, flipping the blackboard over.

Dahlia found her name next to Peter's, and walked over to him. He had a look of nerves, but excitement on his face.

He was honestly just excited to touch her.

When Dahlia and Peter squared off, she gave him a once over before coming out of position. At Peter's confused look, she stepped toward him, kicking his feet a few inches apart. She moved his arms in a way that he could both defend and attack, and showed him how to stand on the balls of his feet by showing him the way hers were positioned.

Once he grew comfortable in this new stance, she got back to her place and squared off with him. He waited for her to throw the first punch, and she did. She feinted left, and he went to block, exposing his right side and she landed a fast jab there. It didn't hurt, though, because she didn't put her weight into it.

He glanced at her face, embarrassed, but she stood from her fighting position and showed him the way he should have been standing. She pointed to her elbow that she had angled to protect her right side, while still able to throw a punch with her other hand.

They went on like that for a while, him throwing and blocking punches, and her correcting his techniques, until he got the hang of it. Soon, they were sparring with a nearly equal level of skill. They were throwing punches, blocking and dodging each other. One of them would occasionally best the other, usually Dahlia, but Peter would catch her too.

They sparred for close to an hour before Four called out, "Okay, partners can leave when one of you wins!"

Dahlia hopped forward and stepped a foot between Peter's. His large body's arms were too long to throw any punches. She wrapped a leg behind his knee and pulled him to the ground, but he flipped them so he landed on top of her. He grinned down at her, his face only inches from hers.

That grin fell away, though, when she wrapped her muscular legs around his waist and flipped them over. She straddled his hips with her full weight and pinned his strong arms above his head. He squirmed beneath her, bucking his hips to no avail.

She leaned down and grinned in his face playfully before patting his cheek and climbing off of him, offering her hand to help him stand. They were the last ones to leave the training room and they both headed in the direction of the dormitory. Peter wanted a shower after sweating all day.

"Hey do you think they saved us any hot wa-"he asked before noticing that she was heading to the Chasm. He never spent much time there, the enormity and pure power of it making him uneasy, but he found himself following Dahlia to it.

He watched from a distance as Dahlia climbed her way up one of the ridges on the rock wall surrounding the roaring water. He felt fear prickle over his entire body as she scampered up the rock with no fear, as if she wasn't climbing above a nearly 200 foot drop.

The chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy; Eric's voice rang in his ears.

Dahlia scaled the wall as if she had done it a million times before. She got to a hollow part and sat down in it, tailor style. She closed her eyes and relaxed, and Peter had never seen someone look so beautiful. All tension in her face disappeared, and she seemed to radiate light as she retreated into herself. He stood watching her for a while, and looked away when he heard the doors open to reveal Christina and her friends.

Christina scoffed when she saw him. He wasn't sure why she hated him so much. He fully admitted to being a jackass, but he had never had a real interaction with her. Most people hated him for what they had heard of him, not from what he had actually done to them.

Tris gasped when she saw Dahlia in the divot in the wall, pointing a shaking hand at the girl. Christina looked at the girl and smirked.

"Looks like Flower Girl has crossed the fine line!" Christina laughed loudly.

Dahlia's eyes popped open and snapped to the small group. She glanced at Peter before looking back at Christina. She began climbing back down the wall, and was about to jump back to the bridge when Christina planted herself where Dahlia was going to land.

Dahlia's face gave a silent command, Move.

"I'll move when you respond to me," Christina said, hands on her hips. She was known for her stubbornness, and it had not failed her before.

What she did not know, though, was that Dahlia was even more stubborn.

Narrowing her eyes, Dahlia launched herself almost 10 feet down the bridge past Christina, dropping down the center of the Chasm.

Peter's heart stopped in his chest and he dropped to one knee out shock. Christina let out a scream, thinking she had been the cause of an innocent girl's death.

Silence hung in the air for a minute, and they lost all hope that she would come back up.

Peter sprinted down the bridge and looked over the edge. Maybe she hit the water, maybe she survived. He looked over the edge of the rail and felt air whoosh back into his chest when he saw her smiling face. There she was, hanging from a bar place under the pathway of the bridge. They must have put that there a log time ago. Surely, this was not the first time someone went over the edge.

She winked at him, removing one hand from the bar, making his heart skip a beat once more, placing a finger over her lips. Shhh…

Christina was hysterical by now, shrieking, while Tris tried to console her. Peter knelt down lower, pretending to be looking for Dahlia when he was really trying to hide his face of relief and laughter. This girl would be the death of him, whether she meant to or not. He took another look at her playful, smiling face, her wide eyes and wicked grin reminding him of a little kid sticking their hand in the cookie jar. His heart fluttered, in a pleasant way this time, and it scared him.

Deciding she had put Christina through enough, Dahlia reached one small, pale hand up, and Peter grasped it tightly. He pulled her up over the walkway, wrapping his strong arms around her, squeezing her a little tighter before placing her on her feet.

Christina gasped at the sight of her and stormed over, "That wasn't funny!"

"Well, neither is threatening someone with falling into the Chasm because you want them to do what you say, Chris," Tris said gently.

Dahlia gave Christina a warning look before leaving toward the mess hall, Peter following close behind. He laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and she let him. She hadn't had any contact since she had left her grandfather the day before. They followed the smell of food to the mess hall and realized that dinner was already started, and the rest of the initiates were already eating.

They went through the food line, and Peter picked up one of the meat discs between two buns and some fried vegetables. He followed Dahlia as she made her way through the fruits and vegetables line, scooping some small tomatoes and cucumber slices, a peach, some strawberries, before grabbing a bread roll.

She headed to her table in the back of the canteen, and saw Peter shake his head at his waiting friends, following her to her table. When they sat down, she cocked her head toward Molly and Drew in question.

"They can entertain themselves for tonight," he smiled.

They set to eating, until Peter noticed Dahlia staring at him.

"What?" he asked, blushing.

Dahlia pointed at his sandwich.

"A hamburger?" he asked.

She cocked her head to the side. She had never been one to eat meat unless absolutely necessary, which was rare. Usually in the autumn, her grandfather would hunt in the forest and bring back wild game, usually a couple of rabbits. Benjamin would hang it to dry as jerky in case the fruits and vegetables they canned didn't last them all winter.

That being said, she knew what ham was, and that did not look like ham.

"Would you like to try some?" he asked her with a smile, holding the burger out.

Dahlia warily took it and brought it to her mouth for a bite. She took a small bite and her nose wrinkled up, eyebrows drawing together. Her face made Peter throw his head back and laugh and she begrudgingly chewed the meat and swallowed it.

She handed the burger back with a shudder. She definitely wasn't interested in eating meat now.

"I take it you don't like it?" he chuckled, taking another bite.

Her grimace made him laugh again.

* * *

The initiates all crowded into the dormitory after dinner. They were all exhausted after the physical day they'd had. Dahlia slipped into the shower while they were all settling into bed.

Peter couldn't sleep, thinking about the day he'd had, nervous about the possibility of being cut from Dauntless, wound up from thinking that Dahlia was dead.

Dahlia.

Her silvery blonde hair, her green eyes peering down at him after they sparred, then up at him while she hung from the rail under the Chasm bridge. The relief he felt when he found that she wasn't dead, and the humor at her face while she ate the hamburger. He had never met someone who made him feel so many positive things, and it scared him.

He ruined everything he touched, and Dahlia was a blank canvas, untainted by the toxins in the world.

Eventually, he overthought enough that he was equally as mentally exhausted as he was physically, that he was able to go to sleep. As he drifted off, he swore he heard music.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi, friends! Here's a new installation to TBD! Thanks for the lovely reviews! Also thank you to user confidentsandwichshapedfreedom for notifying me that Dahlia seems like a Mary Sue. I think she does too, but I don't intend to write the story for her to be one. All criticism is welcome. Hopefully she seems more like a real person in this chapter!

* * *

Dahlia woke later than she normally did. She sat up in bed, and immediately knew something was wrong. She hopped from her bed, and sprinted to the toilets and vomited. She'd felt sick all night, and she was almost positive it was from the hamburger she had ingested. She tiredly scrubbed at her face and brushed her teeth in the sink, before showering. She would skip meditating in the Chasm for today. She lay back in bed after dressing, practicing deep breathing.

Eventually she heard a groan, which woke the rest of the initiates. Taking that as her cue to leave, she headed to the mess hall to grab some breakfast, choosing a bread roll to settle her upset stomach. When she finished, she headed to the training room, seeing Four and Eric standing at the board talking seriously. They finished whatever they were doing there, and jumped when they turned and saw Dahlia's blank face staring at them. Tilting her head toward the bags, she silently offered her help in hanging them.

"No, today we're going up to the roof," Four said.

At Dahlia's nod, the instructors began a hushed conversation. Dahlia stood on the canvas mat, stretching her limbs. After she finished, the rest of the initiates began trickling in. She scanned over each of them, noticing their sluggish forms. They must have been sore from the sudden increase in physical activity.

When they all made it into the gym, Four walked up to the roof without a word, and the initiates ground while climbing the stairs to follow him. When they made it to the roof they saw the guns lined of on the table. Dahlia had seen a few guns in her life. Her grandfather had a handful locked in a box, buried behind the shed by their garden.

 _Best to be in our hands than in a dangerous person's, little bird?_ He would always say.

They grabbed a gun at their instructor's orders. Peter yawned and stretched his muscular arms over his head, sweeping the barrel of the gun in a path over his fellow initiates. Dahlia stepped out of his line, not wanting to get hit by an accidental bullet.

"Wha… What does firing a gun have to do with being… being brave?" he asked between yawns.

His tired green eyes open widely when he felt the cool metal of Four's handgun on his forehead, and heard the safety click off.

"You are holding a loaded gun. Wake. Up," the instructor growled, shoving him away.

Peter noticed the other initiates staring at him, "What?!" he snapped, embarrassed.

After a quick demonstration, he sent the initiates on their way to practice. Dahlia hadn't fired a gun in years, but it wasn't rocket science, and she was shooting near the center of the target after a few practice shots. Her grandfather had taught her to use them when he had found the first couple of them in the woods, and in the area around where the Dauntless patrol ran. It was not uncommon for weapons to be abandoned at the site of a skirmish with the Factionless, and Benjamin worked to reduce their chances of success. When she was old enough, he taught Dahlia the basics of using firearms.

Dahlia wasn't very good at shooting, though. She would hunt with her grandfather occasionally but they didn't use guns because they were too loud.

After shooting practice, it was announced that they were going to begin fights, so they made their way back to the gym. The first fight was between Christina and Molly. Dahlia didn't pay much attention. Though Molly wasn't the most graceful fighter, her strength clearly outmatched Christina's. The fight went by quickly, but when Christina decided to concede, they went out to the Chasm. Eric threw her over the edge without warning, and she caught herself on the same bar Dahlia had hung from the day before. He went on with some long speech about bravery before leaving the girl to hang for five minutes as punishment. Dahlia shared a look with Peter, smiling at him, only for him to glare at her. She raised an eyebrow at him.

Whatever had happened to make him treat her that way didn't matter to her. He had decided against whatever relationship he'd had with her the previous day, and she let it go in that moment. She hadn't expected him to be her friend in the first place. When Christina finished her punishment, her friends pulled her up and coddled her. It was endearing for some time, but Dahlia soon grew bored and met Eric's eyes which held the same irritated, disinterested look.

"Alright! If you wanted to cuddle you should have gone to Amity. Get back to the training room, we're not done fighting," the trainer snapped.

The rest of the fights went on without dramatics. Dahlia had been paired with Myra, the only other initiate smaller than her by about an inch. They fought, and though Myra tried her hardest to defend herself, Dahlia was ruthlessly efficient. She wasn't particularly brutal, and tried not to cause her too much pain, but she soon had the girl pinned to the ground. She pressed her knee to the center of Myra's back and pulled the girl's arms behind her. She let out a cry of pain and tried to escape Dahlia's hold. She couldn't, but she continued squirming. Dahlia looked to Eric, _done?_

"She could still continue if she fought hard enough. No conceding," he told her.

Dahlia gave a curt nod, grabbing Myra by the scruff of her neck and whispered a quick "Sorry" before slamming her forehead against the mat a couple of times, knocking her out. She regained consciousness a few moments later.

Dahlia was pulling her out of the ring before she heard Edward snap, " _I've got her."_

Dahlia's hands left her and she joined the rest of the initiates.

Peter had lost his fight against Edward, and while cradling his black eye, he was watching Dahlia closely. She had shown no mercy, but at the same time, she had. He was fascinated by her.

The initiates left the training room soon after. This was the first time they had actually treated their fellow initiates as true adversaries, and the mood was somber. They walked to the mess hall for lunch, and everyone ate quietly, some of them too foggy headed to speak, and others too guilty. Dahlia ate a small meal of toast and a banana, her stomach still upset. She sat at her designated table alone, and she scanned the room, finding Peter staring at her. He quickly rearranged his features into a scowl. Dahlia saw that and rolled her eyes. His façade was transparent to anyone who looked hard enough.

After finishing lunch, she returned to the training room to find Four putting away all of the equipment from the shooting range. When she approached the table, she reached for one of the guns that he hadn't dismantled yet.

"Don't break them," was all he said, watching her break the gun down with ease.

"Where did you learn to do this?" he asked. She was dismantling them faster than he was.

Dahlia looked up at his with her cold green eyes and gave a simple shrug.

He resumed his task, muttering something about Amity under his breath. After the guns were taken apart, he headed to the door.

"Training is dismissed for the day," he called.

Dahlia looked at him and nodded slowly, following him out of the training room. Four couldn't help but feel creeped out by this silent girl. What had started out as endearing was becoming unsettling.

When the doors were locked with a code, Four went one way, and Dahlia went the other. When she made it to the Chasm, she was met with the sight of Peter and his friends. His eyes lit up when he saw her, but he reined it in, fixing her with a glare. She looked at him with a polite smile and a humorous glint in her eyes. She climbed the rocky wall, and found the ridge before settling into the hollow she had claimed as her spot.

Peter and his friends watched her, pausing their conversation. Dahlia made herself comfortable and fell asleep as if she wasn't 200 feet above churning water and sharp rocks. After watching the strange girl, the group continued their conversation and plans.

Drew had won against Tris, his fight ending in less than two minutes because he had shoved her hard enough for her to fall and hit her head, but did terribly with shooting and physical endurance. Molly had done about the same, and Peter had lost in his close fight against Edward, but was skilled in shooting and in good enough shape to do well in basic exercise. They theorized that he would probably rank low and fight his way through the loser's bracket, before he would make it to the top, fighting either Edward or Dahlia.

The group left the Chasm bridge just as Edward and Myra came through the doors. The looked exchanged between Edward and Peter was heated, and Edward was a sight to behold with his flared nostrils and bulging veins on his face and neck. They separated without a word, and Peter left the Chasm feeling intimidated and angry that Edward had that effect on him.

Dahlia woke when she heard shouting voices. Blinking her vision clear, she saw Edward and Myra arguing. It seemed that she was upset about the way initiation was going, and he was upset that she was blaming him for her decision to follow him to Dauntless. Dahlia slipped off the wall and onto the bridge quietly. Myra noticed her and glanced at her, causing Edward to grasp her chin and snap her head to face him again. Dahlia made her way to the doors farthest from the quarrelling couple. She looked back at them through the glass window in the door and watched them for a moment. Eventually, Dahlia decided to leave to find some dinner.

There was no food prepared yet, so she sat at her table to observe the members of her new faction. When she noticed the faction leader, Max, standing at the beverage station, she also noticed the boxes of tea behind him. She had been drinking water over the past few days, and she had craved some mint tea desperately. When she came back from her thoughts, she noticed Max, Four, and Eric staring at her. They exchanged a few words before Eric headed to her table.

"You ready for tomorrow's fight?" he greeted, pulling up a seat close to her.

Dahlia nodded, glancing at him before looking back towards the tea.

"How did you learn how to do all that?" he asked, watching her closely.

Dahlia finally looked at him and shrugged.

"I know that we taught you how to fight, but we need to know if you have guns in Amity, because we didn't teach you how to load and break down guns. Now I'm giving you an order-" Eric snarled.

"Watching," Dahlia said simply.

"What?" Eric stopped short.

"I watched Four do it," she said.

"Oh," he said, stopping his rant. Now he felt awkward.

"Is the tea for us?" Dahlia asked.

"What?" Eric asked.

"The tea," Dahlia gestured. "Is it for the initiates, too?"

"Ye- yeah. You can have some too," he told her.

"Are we done here?" she asked.

"Yeah, go ahead," the man huffed. He had never heard the girl speak so much. Her voice had a honey-like quality, thick yet smooth.

Dahlia rose to her feet and a large, genuine smile broke out on her face when she saw packets of peppermint tea. She poured herself a mug of the hot liquid and snagged one of the apples that had just been brought out before she returned to her table where Eric was still seated.

She ate her lunch methodically, savoring the tea that reminded her of home.

"So, why are you so quiet if you can speak?" the Dauntless leader asked Dahlia.

After looking him over for a few moments, she simply said, "Very few people have earned it."

"And I have?" Eric asked disbelievingly.

"Not particularly, but I missed socializing, and you're not competition," Dahlia answered.

"You never make sense in what you're saying," the man snapped.

"You're not gonna use any of my weaknesses against me. You're training me to be better. The other initiates are like animals, trying to drag one another down," Dahlia explained.

Eric sat back and thought over her answer.

"Can I try one of those?" Dahlia asked, pointing to the browned potato sitting next to his hamburger.

"Nope," he said with a grin, popping a few in his mouth.

Dahlia laughed before reaching over and snatching one of them off of his plate and taking a bite.

"Hey!" he started.

Dahlia's face of pleasure upon the taste of fried potato exploding over her tongue was nearly obscene. Her eyes fluttered and she threw her head back and let out a quiet 'mmm'. Eric reached over and stole a bite of her apple and her mouth dropped open in shock.

Eric paused before laughing at her, "What, have you never had a French fry before?"

"That's what they're called?" she asked, reaching toward his plate only to have him swat her hands away.

"How have you never had a French fry? That's just not right!" he exclaimed, grabbing her hand and leading her to the food table yet again. Dahlia sensed eyes on her, before darting away. She could only imagine what people thought of the cold, harsh leader leading a strange initiate through the mess hall.

Eric grabbed two plates and loaded them up with a small helping of everything in each tray. They sat back down at their table and Eric place the plates in front of Dahlia and looked at her with an expectant look on his face.

"What? You can't possibly expect me to eat all of this by myself," she said.

"No, but I'll eat what you don't," Eric said waiting for her to try the food.

Dahlia took a spoonful of what looked like tiny white pipes covered in melted cheese, and her face broke into a grin, and Eric gave a small cheer. It went on like that for the rest of the meal, and Dahlia ended up liking most food that she had sampled, but she wasn't a fan of the meat dishes. He ate those quickly, and Dahlia sat back with her hands on her stomach.

"Goodness gracious, someone burp me," Dahlia groaned.

Eric laughed and ruffled her hair.

"Lucky you, training is done for the day. Could you imagine getting sucker punched right now," Eric said, drawing his fist back.

Dahlia sat up and wrapped her arms around her protruding belly, "I swear I will throw up on you!"

They both broke out in quiet laughter.

They didn't notice the pair of dark green eyes staring at them, nearly glowing with jealous rage.

* * *

Some dirty uglies are coming up next chapter and I'm so excited oml.


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